Fabian Cancellara raced his final Tour of Flanders Sunday aboard a special Trek Domane SLR. The just-announced Domane SLR sports two radically new technologies — front IsoSpeed and adjustable rear IsoSpeed — and Cancellara's race bike also has some 3D graphics celebrating his accomplishments at Belgium's biggest race.
Cancellara has been instrumental in the formation of the Domane line of bikes from the beginning, working with Trek on testing prototypes, riding instrumented bikes, giving feedback and of course handily delivering as a marketing icon for the endurance machine.
"My wife would not like when I say, it’s like the third baby, the Domane," Cancellara said on the day after the Tour of Flanders, where he placed second to Peter Sagan.
Cancellara regularly made the podium at Ronde van Vlaanderen
Cancellara first raced the bike at Strade Bianche, which he won for the third time. Although many noticed the new bike, neither Trek nor Cancellara would talk about it until the day after the Tour of Flanders at the bike's official launch in Kortrijk, Belgium.
There are two new and remarkable technologies on the new Domane SLR. One, the rear IsoSpeed — first introduced with the original Domane where the seat tube flexes on a pivot at the top tube/chainstay junction — is now adjustable in its range of flex. The split seat tube has an adjustment tab that slides up and down, changing the compliance characteristics from Madone-like stiffness to more plush than the current Domane. To adjust this, you loosen the bottle bottle cage bolt, adjust the slider, then retighten the bolt. Cancellara chose to run his with the slider set in the middle.
The rear IsoSpeed is now adjustable in its seat tube flex, with the black tab just behind and above the bottle cage
The second is the front IsoSpeed, where the steerer tube is allowed to bow fore and aft inside the head tube. Pivot bolts on either side keep laterally rigidity identical to a standard bike, Trek says.
For complete coverage of the Tour of Flanders and the upcoming Paris-Roubaix where Cancellara will race his last Hell of the North, check out Cyclingnews.com.
Complete bike specifications
- Frame: Trek Domane SLR, 58cm
- Fork: Trek IsoSpeed carbon
- Stem: Bontrager Race XXX Lite, 140mm
- Handlebar: Bontrager RL Anatomic, 44cm width
- Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace direct-mount
- Brake levers / shifters: Shimano Dura-Ace 9000
- Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace 9000
- Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace 9000
- Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace, 11-28T
- Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace, 175mm, 53/39T
- Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Wheelset: Bontrager Aeolus 5
- Tubulars: FMB Paris-Roubax, 25mm
- Saddle: Bontrager Team Issue
- Power meter: None used for the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix
Critical measurements
- Rider's height: 186cm (6ft 1in)
- Rider's weight: 80kg (176lb)
- Saddle height from BB, c-t: 782mm
- Tip of saddle to centre of bar: 620mm
- Saddle-to-bar drop: 111mm
